Community | March 15, 2010 | 4 comments

Will giving soldiers human rights ‘hamper battlefield commanders’?

source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7061805.ece

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Mcellie
...or are these rights that should already be in place?

The MOD are worried that the ruling will affect commanders on the battlefield and are opposing Mrs Catherine Smith in court, after her 7 year appeal for a full investigation of her sons death and to secure human rights protection for soldiers who are still fighting.

The article says that securing human rights for soldier in war zones will mean the military has to carry out "more probing inquests into the deaths of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan". This has left the MOD arguing that protecting the soldiers human rights in war zones is difficult because it might affect decisions in battle if commanders fear of being sued later on. they go on to say that volunteers for the army should assume the risks when signing up.

However, some might criticize that the MOD are preventing this issue from being addressed or implemented because it'll cause more scrutiny in how they equip/supply the army for conflicts.

"The ruling also requires coroners to conduct more probing inquests into the deaths of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, a move that could result in further revelations of military equipment and training failures. Today’s hearing in London will be the final leg of Mrs Smith’s legal struggle."
  1. groups:
    Community,   News and Politics,   Military
  2. tags:
    War,  Human Rights,  Soldiers,  Ministry of Defence
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4 comments // Will giving soldiers human rights ‘hamper battlefield commanders’?

  • CarolineS
    • 0
      CarolineS  

    • "The article says that securing human rights for soldier in war zones will mean the military has to carry out "more probing inquests into the deaths of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan"
      Well ofcourse it's easier for the politicians and diplomats if these soldiers are just allowed to drop dead with no further investigation, as any further research into the reasons why and how soldiers die could and should lead to a decrease in people signing up to the army!

    • 1 year ago
  • bking74
    • 0
      bking74  
    • CarolineS:

      Yeah absolutely correct this policy seems on the surface to be a no brainer. Why shouldn't we protect the lives of our soldiers finding ways to improve the quality of life for soldiers and provide much needed answer to the distressed families who have lost a loved one to this "War on Terror" but the simple fact remains that civilian oversight and influence on the battle field will lead to chaos and will lead to ineffective and hampered leadership and a multitude of deaths. Also, the true of the matter is when you swear you oath to the Military you sign away many of your basic human rights that all U.S. citizens enjoy. I

    • 1 year ago
  • bking74
  • bking74
    • +1
      bking74  

    • I feel empathy for Mrs. Smith's anguish and at first glance it might seemed morally right to provide the family members of fallen soldiers more detailed accounts of their deaths. This would seriously hamper the effectiveness of our Armed Forces. Any form of civilian oversight on the battlefield would only lead to more unnecessary deaths. It would also turn ever battlefield death into a prolonged investigation tying down valuable resources. Believe me, I do not take the death of any member of the Armed Forces lightly but war is chaos materialized and the added burden of the threat of civilian scrutiny will cause the lives of many more soldiers.

    • 1 year ago
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